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H AIKEN CRANE Patented Oct. ,28, 1890.

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H. AIKN CRANE.

No. 439,264. Patented Oot. 28, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

HENRY AIKEN, OF HOMESTEAD, PENNSYLVANIA.

CRANE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 439,264, dated October28, 1890.

Application led March 26, 1889. Serial No. 304.881. (No model.)

.To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY AIKEN, of Homestead, in the county ofAllegheny and'State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Cranes, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1 is aside elevation of one of myimproved cranes, showing the cylinder and ram in vertical centralsection. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the toot of thecylinder, ram, and base-plate. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the base-plate.Fig. 4 isa horizontal cross-section on theline 1V IV ot Fig. 2, showingthe lower portion or foot of the cranemast, the cylinder and ram beingomitted for clearness of illustration.

In the accompanying drawings, 2 represents the cylinder of the crane,and 3 is the ram or plunger, which is preferably arranged within thecylinder, and is connected with the jib 4 in the manner set forth in mypatent, No. 343,417, dated June 8, 1886, the ram being movablevertically by the water-pressure and being rotatory within thecylinder,and the jib being supported by the ram, so that all verticalstrains to which the crane is subject shall be taken up by thewater-cushion. Such construction is illustrated in the drawings, but,although very desirable, does not, unless so expressly stated in theclaims, form a feature of limitation of my presentinvention, which isapplicable to other constructions of cylinder andram, and relates to themanner of connecting the cylinder with the waterconnections and to themode of stepping the mast at the base, the object of the invention beingto simplify and cheapen the construction of the parts, to render themeasy to put together or to separate, to render the mastof the crane easyto turn on its bearings, andwith very simple means to make secure thefluid-connections, so that they shall not be apt to leak under the greatpressure to which in the use of the crane they may be put.

The cylinder is stepped at the lower end in a base-plate 5, consistingof a strong casting, which is firmly secured by bolts or otherwise to asuitable foundation. A water-passage 6 extends through the flange of thebase-plate and terminates in the center of the bottom of the cylindercavity or socket. The foot of the cylinder is made of considerably lessdiameter than that portion thereof which contains the ram, and the axialbore or waterway 7 formed therein is adapted to register with the end ofthe water-way 6 in the baseplate. At the extreme lower end of the foot 8is a circular tongue 9, concentric with the axis of the foot, and acorrespondingly-shaped groove is formed in the base-plate insuchposition as to receive the tongue when the cylinder-t'oot isstepped. A gasket 10of rubberl is placed in this groove beneath thetongue 9, and the groove is made sufficiently shallow that when thecylinder-foot is stepped in the base-plate the entire weight of thecylinder shall be exerted upon the narrow bearing of the tongue on thegasket. The weight of the cylinder upon the gasket .is the only meansnecessary to be employed to make tight the water-connection between thebase-plate and the cylinder. Its action in this regard is perfect, andas the pressure on the gasket and the consequent security of the jointincrease with the weight or burden of the crane the joint is tight underall conditions. Then set in position in the base-plate, the cylinderv isheld irmly and is rendered non-rotatory by means of a key b, whichextends through the baseplate, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Somewhat abovethe tongue Qthe base-plate is formed with a seat 11, on which the footof the mast rests and turns. The mast-foot consists of a sleeve 12,which tits neatly around the contracted foot 8 of the cylinder, and istherefore itself of small diameter, and is provided with a wider portionor fiange 13, preferably cast integral therewith, which extends for ashort distance up around the wider portion of the cylinder.

The I-beams 14, forming the rotatory mast of the crane, are arranged onopposite sides of the cylinder, and are bolted at their lower ends tothe iiange 13, as shown in Fig. 4. They are arranged in substantiallythe same way and perform substantially the same functions as do thecorresponding parts shown in my patent, No. 343,417, above cited, and attheir upper ends are secured to a block 15, whose journal 16 fits withinsuitable bearings 17.

In the use of the crane the vertical strain IOO of the jib falls uponthe ram 3, on which it is mounted; but as the jib is moved horizontallyon the axis of the ram the mast formed by the I-beams Il also turns onthe bearing-su rface 11 at its foot. The small diameter of this bearing,by increasing the proportion of the radius of the sweep of the jib tothe radius of the bearing, renders the crane much easier to turn on itsvertical axis than where such bearing is larger, as in my said patent,and is thus a means of saving labor in the use'of the crane.

In order to prevent dangerous consequences which might ensue if the footof the cylinder should break, I prefer to constructthe baseplate with acurtain or guard IS, which is preferably (though not necessarily) castintegrally withthe base-plate and extends upwardly for a short distancearound the contracted foot of the mast and above the top of the lateralbearing of the cylinder-foot in the base-plate 5. If the foot of thecylindershould break, this guard would still confine the mast and wouldkeep it and the cylinder in an up right position.

My invention is susceptible of many modiications in form and relativearrangements of the parts, Without involving a departure from theprinciples thereof, as expressed in the following claims, each of whichstates an item of invention independent of and unlim- ,ited by theelements and limitationscontainod in other claims.

The advantages of my invention will be ap` preciated by those skilled inthe art.

The crane is very simple in its structure, is easily fitted together,and because there are no diiicult Water-connections to couple orun`couple (as when the water-pipe enters the cylinder laterally) thecylinder if injured by freezing or otherwise may with little difficultybe removed and a new cylinder substituted therefor, all that isnecessary being to support the jib, to remove the key b, to lift thcylinder from the base-plate, and to re-4 place it With anothercylinder, which is in turn held by the key. Other advantages of theinvention have been stated in the course of the foregoing description.

I claim- 1. The combination of the base-plate or socket having awater-passage and the upright stationary cylinder bearing on thebaseplate and closing the joint by pressure thereon, said cylinderhaving in its end a passage registeri n g with the said water-passage,substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In a crane, the combination of a stationary cylinder having acontracted foot, a rotary mast having a contracted foot fitting aroundthe foot of the cylinder, and a step for the mast, substantially as andfor the purposes described.

3. In a crane havingacontracted foot,such as the foot S, forming ajournal on which the crane is rotatory, the combination,with such foot,of a base-plate or socket in which it is stepped, and in which it has alateral bearing, and an external curtain or guard which eX-. tends abovethe top of said lateral bearing, substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

4. In a crane, the combination of the baseplate or socket having awater-passage, an upright stationary cylinder having a'hollow endstepped in said base-plate or socket and connected therewith by atongue-and-groovo joint, and a gasket on which the cylinder end rests,substantially as and for the purposes described.

5.` The combination of the base-plate or socket having a water-passage,the upright cylinder having in its end a passage registering with theWater-passage in the base-plate, and a key connecting the cylinder andbaseplate, substantially as and for the purposes de? scribed.

G. In a crane, the combination of the stationary cylinder, a base-plateor socket on which it is stepped, said base-plate or socket having anexternal curtain or guard extending above the bearing of said cylinderin the base-plate or socket, and a rotary mast encircling the cylinderat the base, and having a iiange 13, encircling the cylinder,substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 23d day of March,A. D. 1889.

HENRY AIKEN.

Vitnesses:

WV. B. CORWIN, THOMAS W. BAKEWELL.

